Edmonton holds the world record for the most magpies, merlins, and bohemian waxwings, and we generally find between 50 and 60 species of birds each year on the count in Edmonton, December 20, 2015. Beginning last Monday through January 5th, 2016, birders and nature enthusiasts in SC and across the country will take part in this tradition, many rising before dawn to participate.
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Compiler Cole Fredericks says Saturday’s windy weather may have reduced the number of other species seen because some birds remained in sheltered areas. The CBC utilizes the power of volunteers to track the health of bird populations at a scale that professional scientists could never accomplish alone. “[In] the late ’70s to the early ’80s, researchers began to embrace citizen science data sets”, said Geoff LeBaron, director of the Christmas Bird Count for the National Audubon Society.
And while birders visit the plant year-round to catch seasonal visitors, it will definitely be a popular stop this Saturday for those tracking feathered sorts for the annual Christmas Bird Count, in particular ducks and grebes, but also rarer Mendocino County visitors such as Ross’s Goose and American Bittern. Each individual count is performed in a count circle within a 15 mile diameter.
Once one count is completed, the collected data are compiled and sent to the National Audubon Society so that scientists there can compare those numbers to other counts coming in from other regions of North America.
In the Truckee Meadows, data from the Christmas Bird Count show changes that have occurred as land use patterns have shifted.
Sightings of these majestic creatures have been highlights of past Christmas Bird Counts, and while it’s possible that some people may spot them this year, there is no guarantee, LeBaron said. Pigeons, for example, are a relatively new arrival.
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The Lahontan Audubon Society welcomes all participants, regardless of experience level, to the Truckee Meadows Christmas Bird Count on the 19th, said Oakes.
